On the last Friday in March I set out on a run, only 4 miles. Nothing special. I did not have high hopes for the run since South Carolina decided to bring mid 80s temperatures with plenty of humidity on the fifth day of Spring. I also wondered about my choice to run what I call my challenge route, a route which includes several significant and challenging hills. I always wonder about running this route the day before a long run.

When I started, I told myself to be okay with running slower and walking at each mile split. Then the hills felt so incredibly hard. I kept running, taking my first walk break as scheduled right at the first mile. That next mile included the gradual incline that I endure every time I finish a run. When I reached the second mile, my split shocked me, 9:06, even including the hill and the walk break. Okay then.

The second half of the run felt even more difficult although I enjoyed the downhill for the first half of the third mile. I even got a chance for my heart rate to come down without walking when I had to stop at the only intersection I cross on the loop.

When I took my walk break after the second mile, it lasted a little longer than my normal tenth as I waited for my heart rate to settle. Then in the third mile as I faced my longest incline, I walked again before the mile mark until I finished the hill. I did not mind what I expected to be my much slower pace because I realized that this heat and humidity takes a toll and I have yet to acclimate.

I ran through the third mile mark since I had a downhill, walking again on the way back up that same hill. Once I reached the top, I started running again, finishing last half mile to the run. I had to dodge a few people out for a walk as I finished but did not mind because I finished before the next incline.

The surprise came when I looked at my overall pace for the run, 9:22, with all of those walks and the conscious effort to slow down. Instantly I felt so grateful that my fitness appears to have returned, just in time to start planning, hopefully, for Chicago in the fall. This means it’s back to speedwork!